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Dimensional modeling

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539:) we can co-locate records with the same primary and foreign keys on the same node in a cluster. This makes it relatively cheap to join very large tables. No data needs to travel across the network to perform the join. This is very different on Hadoop and HDFS. On HDFS tables are split into big chunks and distributed across the nodes on our cluster. We don’t have any control on how individual records and their keys are spread across the cluster. As a result joins on Hadoop for two very large tables are quite expensive as data has to travel across the network. We should avoid joins where possible. For a large fact and dimension table we can de-normalize the dimension table directly into the fact table. For two very large transaction tables we can nest the records of the child table inside the parent table and flatten out the data at run time. 25: 445: 245: 349: 205:
clarify what the grain means, you should pick the central process and describe it with one sentence. Furthermore, the grain (sentence) is what you are going to build your dimensions and fact table from. You might find it necessary to go back to this step to alter the grain due to new information gained on what your model is supposed to be able to deliver.
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After describing the business process, the next step in the design is to declare the grain of the model. The grain of the model is the exact description of what the dimensional model should be focusing on. This could for instance be “An individual line item on a customer slip from a retail store”. To
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Extensibility. Dimensional models are scalable and easily accommodate unexpected new data. Existing tables can be changed in place either by simply adding new data rows into the table or executing SQL alter table commands. No queries or applications that sit on top of the data warehouse need to be
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The third step in the design process is to define the dimensions of the model. The dimensions must be defined within the grain from the second step of the 4-step process. Dimensions are the foundation of the fact table, and is where the data for the fact table is collected. Typically dimensions are
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After defining the dimensions, the next step in the process is to make keys for the fact table. This step is to identify the numeric facts that will populate each fact table row. This step is closely related to the business users of the system, since this is where they get access to data stored in
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Understandability. Compared to the normalized model, the dimensional model is easier to understand and more intuitive. In dimensional models, information is grouped into coherent business categories or dimensions, making it easier to read and interpret. Simplicity also allows software to navigate
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Dimensional modeling always uses the concepts of facts (measures), and dimensions (context). Facts are typically (but not always) numeric values that can be aggregated, and dimensions are groups of hierarchies and descriptors that define the facts. For example, sales amount is a fact; timestamp,
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Query performance. Dimensional models are more denormalized and optimized for data querying, while normalized models seek to eliminate data redundancies and are optimized for transaction loading and updating. The predictable framework of a dimensional model allows the database to make strong
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Dimensional modeling does not necessarily involve a relational database. The same modeling approach, at the logical level, can be used for any physical form, such as multidimensional database or even flat files. It is oriented around understandability and performance.
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suffer from performance problems when aggregating or retrieving many dimensional values that may require analysis. If you are only going to do operational reports then you may be able to get by with 3NF because your operational user will be looking for very fine grain
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should cover. Therefore, the first step in the model is to describe the business process which the model builds on. This could for instance be a sales situation in a retail store. To describe the business process, one can choose to do this in plain text or use basic
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There are some arguments on why normalization can be useful. It can be an advantage when part of hierarchy is common to more than one dimension. For example, a geographic dimension may be reusable because both the customer and supplier dimensions use it.
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reprogrammed to accommodate changes. Old queries and applications continue to run without yielding different results. But in normalized models each modification should be considered carefully, because of the complex dependencies between database tables.
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assumptions about the data which may have a positive impact on performance. Each dimension is an equivalent entry point into the fact table, and this symmetrical structure allows effective handling of complex queries.
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Dimensional normalization or snowflaking removes redundant attributes, which are known in the normal flatten de-normalized dimensions. Dimensions are strictly joined together in sub dimensions.
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databases efficiently. In normalized models, data is divided into many discrete entities and even a simple business process might result in dozens of tables joined together in a complex way.
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Snowflaking has an influence on the data structure that differs from many philosophies of data warehouses. Single data (fact) table surrounded by multiple descriptive (dimension) tables
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product, register#, store#, etc. are elements of dimensions. Dimensional models are built by business process area, e.g. store sales, inventory, claims, etc. Because the different
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nouns like date, store, inventory etc. These dimensions are where all the data is stored. For example, the date dimension could contain data such as year, month and weekday.
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on Hadoop become the default behavior. In order to get the latest and most up to date record in a dimension table we have three options. First, we can create a
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The process of dimensional modeling builds on a 4-step design method that helps to ensure the usability of the dimensional model and the use of the
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frameworks. However, some features of Hadoop require us to slightly adapt the standard approach to dimensional modelling.
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The way data is distributed across HDFS makes it expensive to join data. In a distributed relational database (
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within a business and modelling and implementing these first before adding additional business processes, as a
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The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit: Expert Methods for Designing, Developing, and Deploying Data Warehouses
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share some but not all dimensions, efficiency in design, operation, and consistency, is achieved using
1310: 1145: 1045: 655:"From Enterprise Models to Dimensional Models: A Methodology for Data Warehouse and Data Mart Design" 521: 191: 108: 1066: 1061: 1019: 795: 520:. We can only add but not update data. As a result we can only append records to dimension tables. 378: 1135: 364: 1315: 1161: 958: 654: 458: 258: 374: 1253: 1120: 862: 121: 83: 1125: 1040: 908: 529: 469: 269: 8: 1076: 1014: 931: 882: 107:
advocates a top down design of the model of all the enterprise data using tools such as
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Ralph Kimball; Margy Ross; Warren Thornthwaite; Joy Mundy; Bob Becker (January 2008).
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Database Systems - A Practical Approach to Design, Implementation and Management
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Ralph Kimball; Margy Ross; Warren Thornthwaite; Joy Mundy (10 January 2008).
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The Data Warehouse Toolkit: The Definitive Guide to Dimensional Modeling
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The Data Warehouse Toolkit: The Complete Guide to Dimensional Modeling
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Developers often don't normalize dimensions due to several reasons:
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which includes a set of methods, techniques and concepts for use in
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for star-joined databases is simple, predictable, and controllable.
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Performance can be slower, due to the many joins between tables
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Data Warehouse Design: Modern Principles and Methodologies
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Connolly, Thomas; Begg, Carolyn (26 September 2014).
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Benefits of the dimensional model are the following:
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design. The approach focuses on identifying the key
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Normalization makes the data structure more complex
549: 1302: 716:Matteo Golfarelli; Stefano Rizzi (26 May 2009). 363:, potentially preventing the article from being 1282:Data warehousing products and their producers 830: 803: 571: 46:Please help adding a more precise page range. 711: 709: 707: 646: 627: 741:Ralph Kimball; Margy Ross (26 April 2002). 1103: 810: 796: 623: 621: 619: 468:. Please do not remove this message until 383:reliable, independent, third-party sources 268:. Please do not remove this message until 234: 704: 488:Learn how and when to remove this message 401:Learn how and when to remove this message 288:Learn how and when to remove this message 62:Learn how and when to remove this message 679: 652: 464:Relevant discussion may be found on the 435:Dimensional models, Hadoop, and big data 377:by replacing them with more appropriate 264:Relevant discussion may be found on the 759: 734: 616: 528:that retrieves the latest record using 360:too closely associated with the subject 190:(BPMN) or other design guides like the 1303: 140: 1218: 1102: 829: 791: 653:Moody, Daniel L.; Kortink, Mark A.R. 768:The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit 438: 342: 238: 145:The dimensional model is built on a 18: 817: 592:Margy Ross (Kimball Group) (2005). 188:Business Process Model and Notation 32:This article cites its sources but 13: 1167:MultiDimensional eXpressions (MDX) 577:"A Dimensional Modeling Manifesto" 14: 1327: 667:from the original on 17 May 2017 594:"Identifying Business Processes" 443: 358:may rely excessively on sources 347: 339:Benefits of dimensional modeling 243: 135: 103:. An alternative approach from 23: 1188:Business intelligence software 1067:Extract, load, transform (ELT) 1062:Extract, transform, load (ETL) 114: 84:Business Dimensional Lifecycle 1: 1136:Decision support system (DSS) 720:. McGraw-Hill Osborne Media. 609: 543: 316:The space savings are minimal 1162:Data Mining Extensions (DMX) 109:entity-relationship modeling 7: 1219: 923:Ensemble modeling patterns 893:Single version of the truth 470:conditions to do so are met 270:conditions to do so are met 171:Choose the business process 157:Choose the business process 10: 1332: 1277:Comparison of OLAP servers 770:(Second ed.). Wiley. 745:(Second ed.). Wiley. 690:(Second ed.). Wiley. 598:Kimball Group, Design Tips 522:Slowly Changing Dimensions 1269: 1229: 1225: 1214: 1180: 1154: 1146:Data warehouse automation 1113: 1109: 1098: 1054: 1028: 1002: 967: 901: 840: 836: 831:Creating a data warehouse 825: 660:. Dimensional Modelling. 581:DBMS and Internet Systems 192:Unified Modeling Language 87:methodology developed by 1172:XML for Analysis (XMLA) 557:(3rd ed.). Wiley. 235:Dimension normalization 209:Identify the dimensions 163:Identify the dimensions 1104:Using a data warehouse 959:Operational data store 122:business process areas 1121:Business intelligence 553:; Margy Ross (2013). 16:Data modeling concept 937:Focal point modeling 909:Column-oriented DBMS 858:Dimensional modeling 600:(69). Archived from 126:conformed dimensions 75:Dimensional modeling 38:ranges are too broad 1242:Information factory 1015:Early-arriving fact 932:Data vault modeling 883:Reverse star schema 530:windowing functions 457:of this section is 325:Query performance. 257:of this section is 141:Designing the model 1193:Reporting software 514:Hadoop File System 424:Query optimization 220:Identify the facts 101:bottom-up approach 97:business processes 1298: 1297: 1294: 1293: 1290: 1289: 1210: 1209: 1206: 1205: 1094: 1093: 1090: 1089: 989:Sixth normal form 777:978-0-470-14977-5 727:978-0-07-161039-1 697:978-0-470-14977-5 639:978-1-292-06118-4 564:978-1-118-53080-1 498: 497: 490: 411: 410: 403: 298: 297: 290: 198:Declare the grain 166:Identify the fact 160:Declare the grain 81:) is part of the 72: 71: 64: 1323: 1311:Data warehousing 1227: 1226: 1216: 1215: 1111: 1110: 1100: 1099: 878:Snowflake schema 838: 837: 827: 826: 812: 805: 798: 789: 788: 782: 781: 763: 757: 756: 738: 732: 731: 713: 702: 701: 683: 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Index


page references
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Business Dimensional Lifecycle
Ralph Kimball
data warehouse
business processes
bottom-up approach
Inmon
entity-relationship modeling
business process areas
conformed dimensions
star-like schema
snowflake schema
data warehouse
data warehouse
Business Process Model and Notation
Unified Modeling Language
data warehouse
neutrality
disputed
talk page
conditions to do so are met
Learn how and when to remove this message
Bitmap indexes
3NF databases

too closely associated with the subject
verifiable
neutral

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